Background

In the power industry, with the continuous expansion of the power grid scale and the ongoing advancement of smart grid construction, the demand for network communication equipment is also increasing. The operation of power network involves extensive data transmission and exchange, and any minor fault can lead to the paralysis of the entire grid, making stability and reliability crucial. At the same time, power network need constant upgrades and expansions, requiring communication equipment to be highly flexible and scalable. However, traditional network communication equipment often lacks flexibility, exhibit poor scalability, and fail to meet the standards required by the electricity industry. 

So, why is the AVCOMM 8028MG4 switch the optimal choice for power grid?

1. Modular Design: Flexibility to Meet Diverse Needs

The 8028MG4 brings a new solution to the electricity industry with its unique modular design. Supporting up to 28 gigabit Ethernet ports, users can flexibly choose combinations of RJ45 and SFP ports based on actual needs. Its ethernet module options include:

• 8 x 100/1000Base SFP ports

• 8 x 10/100/1000BaseT RJ45 ports

• 4 x 100/1000Base SFP & 10/100/1000BaseT combo ports

This modular design not only enhances the flexibility and scalability of communication equipment in power network but also simplifies maintenance and management. When a module fails, users only need to replace the corresponding module without replacing the entire device, reducing maintenance costs.

2. Compliant with IEC 61850 Standard: Ensuring Secure and Reliable Service for the Electricity Industry

In addition to its modular design, the 8028MG4 fully complies with the IEC 61850 standard. In power systems, devices need to exchange data with each other, but the communication protocols supported by devices from different manufacturers are not uniform, making direct communication between devices from different manufacturers impossible. This requires protocol conversion, leading to difficulties in device interoperability. To address these issues, IEC has developed the international standard for communication networks and systems in power system—IEC 61850 ( refer to: https://iec61850.dvl.iec.ch/ ). This standard enables seamless integration and interoperability among devices from different vendors, laying the foundation for seamless communication system in power systems. It plays an irreplaceable role in the development of intelligent power industry.

We have thoroughly considered the complex working environment and network communication requirements of the electricity industry. We have meticulously designed the configuration, communication, and implementation of IEC 61850. Through continuous technological improvements and upgrades to our switches, we have seamlessly achieved compliance with the IEC 61850 standard. This ensures that our power communication systems are more reliable, enabling users to easily achieve functions such as remote monitoring of power systems, rapid and accurate information transmission, fault diagnosis, and recovery. This enhances the intelligence level of power systems, meeting diverse needs of end customers, system integrators, and smart device manufacturers.

Successful Application Case

Since its launch, the 8028MG4 has been widely used in  fields within the  electricity industry. Take a large-scale power substation in Houston as an example, where multiple 8028MG4 switches have been deployed to establish an efficient and stable power communication network. Through this network, the substation achieves remote monitoring and control of various power equipment, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and safety by 30%.

Simultaneously, the modular design of the 8028MG4 allows for flexible expansion of the power network. As the scale of the power grid continues to expand, the substation only needs to add corresponding switch modules to meet new communication requirements, without replacing the entire equipment, thereby reducing upgrade costs by 20%.

• Modular design, support up to 28 Gigabit Ethernet ports

• Ethernet module options: 8 x 100/1000Base SFP ports, or 8 x 10/100/1000BaseT Copper ports, or 4 x  100/1000BaseSFP & 10/100/1000BaseT combo ports, or PRP/HSR module.

• 9K Jumbo frames

• L2/L3 wire-speed switching 

• Network redundant LACP, Spanning tree STP, RSTP & MSTP, Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP),  High-availability Seamless Redundancy (HSR)

• Advanced VLAN operations: IEEE 802.1ad/QinQ VLAN, VLAN tag add/remove/replace

• Private VLAN, port-based /tag-based/protocol-based VLAN

• Multicasting support IGMP v1/v2/v3, proxy & snooping

• IEEE 1588v2 PTP, IEEE C37.238 Power Profile

• Security: IEEE 802.1x authentication, RADIUS & TACACS+ AAA (pending)

• Policy-based traffic control engine for actions of Deny, Allow, Queue mapping, rate limit, mirror, or CoS  remark on any combination of specific Layer -2 /Layer- 3 / Layer-4 patterns

• QoS (SPQ, WRR, SPQ+ WRR): Hierarchical per-port, per queue shaping & scheduling with bandwidth  management

• IEC 61850-3 Edition 2 Class 2 / IEEE 1613 Class 2 certificated

• IEC 61850-3/ IEEE1613 UCAlug Level A Laboratory certificated

• Industrial grade and fanless design